


I. O. U.

by DelilahMcMuffin



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Boys In Love, Brother-Sister Relationships, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 02:24:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20250628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DelilahMcMuffin/pseuds/DelilahMcMuffin
Summary: "Ohmygodpatrick!" Alexis let out in an exasperated squeal, her wrists bent and her hands flapping wildly in front of her in what Patrick always thought to himself as her T-Rex pose. "I can't fix everything for you! Ugh!""Okay, okay. I'll think of something. I promise," Patrick vowed, resignedly."You'd better," she said. "Because if he's not moving out, you cannot leave me stuck with him all moody and gross and pining for you," she grimaced. "That's just too... ew," she finished with a shudder.Warning: Spoilers for Season 5 Episode 3 - The Plant





	I. O. U.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone *waves*
> 
> I'm new here. I am going to preface this by saying that I used to write for another fandom a long time ago, but it has been... God, at least 8 years since anything has even remotely inspired me to sit down and put pen to paper (metaphorically speaking, of course. Because computers). There's just something about this show and these two idiots falling in love that makes me so happy.
> 
> I am a bit rusty, so please don't judge this work too harshly.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

Alexis sat at the small table filing her nails and gazing around the motel room she shared with her brother. _Not for much longer,_ she thought with a smile twitching at her lips. She held her hand out and turned it this way and that to make sure she was filing her nails evenly.

_David is moving in with Patrick_, she mused, her smile widening. She'd never actually tell her brother this, like, in actual words out loud, but she was so happy for him. She had seen him fall for the wrong kind of people time and again, and each time he'd been left forgotten and broken hearted she'd watched him build up walls around himself higher and higher, shutting himself off from the rest of the world in a desperate attempt to protect his fragile heart. It was about time that he found someone good; someone nice. Someone who loved him despite all his hangups, his prickles and his crippling insecurities and self-loathing.

Growing up he had never been much more than her annoying, artsy, loner brother that she rarely saw, but who she knew she could count on when she got herself into a scrape. Since they crash-landed in Schitt's Creek over four years ago, they'd been forced into close quarters with one another and she'd finally begun to see the caring, sweet and funny man he was underneath his impenetrable outer shell. In the last few years they had gone from relative strangers with the same last name to... friends?

Alexis bit her lip. Yes, friends. Weren't some siblings friends? MK and Ashley had always seemed like friends. The Hemsworth boys too. She'd never known what she was missing before, but now that she had David's friendship, she didn't know how she had gone almost 30 of her life without it. Although she'd rather walk barefoot over hot coals than admit it to him, David was one of her favourite people and she was rooting for him. She really hoped that Patrick was _the one_, because she couldn't imagine anyone else fitting her brother so perfectly.

She was lost in her thoughts, carefully massaging some oil into her cuticles and making mental plans about how she would rearrange the room once David moved out when the door opened and the man himself came barging into the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Um, hello. Forget your manners much?" she chided him. He responded with a snort of derision before emptying his pockets, placing his keys and his phone on the nightstand between their twin beds and throwing himself down on his immaculate white and black bedspred.

Alexis rolled her eyes at him. He was always so dramatic. "So... how'd it go?" she prodded, gently wiping the excess oil from her cuticles with a cotton pad.

"Fine," he replied tersely. He sat up and crossed his legs, reaching down to untie the laces on his right shoe.

Alexis looked up, a faint furrow forming between her brows at her brother's lack-luster response. He'd been so excited to go apartment hunting with Patrick, and now he seemed... well, he seemed upset. David Rose, the man who would use 500 words to make his point when 5 would have done just as well, did not give monosyllabic responses unless he was very, _very_ upset.

"Did you... there weren't... I mean, you didn't find a place you liked?" she asked gently as she watched her brother re-cross his legs and begin untying his left shoe lace. He tugged impatiently at the knot that had formed in his laces and huffed irritably, crossing one arm over his chest, while raising his other hand to swipe surreptitiously at his eyes.

"Patrick found a place," he said flatly before his voice broke with barely concealed pain. "He's signing the lease right now."

"Okaaay," Alexis said slowly, her lips turned down into a frown. "But I thought... David, _you_ thought..."

"Well, I thought wrong," David snapped, scowling down at his left shoe as he snatched at his laces, finally pulling apart the knot. He ripped his shoe off his foot and threw it at the wall with a resounding thud before he stood and went to the small chest of drawers and pulled out a change of clothes, shoving the drawer shut. "I'm going to have a shower and then I'm going to wallow in self-pity for the rest of the night."

"David..."

"So if you didn't already have plans to go out tonight, you should probably make them now," he informed her from the bathroom doorway. "I'm letting you know now that I'm not going to be very good company." He closed the door harder than was necessary and Alexis sighed, wishing that she was imagining the sound of her brother trying to choke back his tears until he finally turned on the shower and the running water drowned him out.

She sat motionless facing the closed bathroom door, her heart breaking for David. He'd told her about Ray's repeated interruptions that morning and had been almost pink with excitemet when he recounted Patrick's declaration that _they _needed to find a place of their own and that he'd been thinking about it _for a while._ Patrick had used words David was still getting used to. Words like 'we' and 'us'. 

Alexis cringed inwardly. David had been so adorably nervous when he'd left this morning to go apartment hunting with his boyfriend. Which made the fact that apparently Patrick had changed his mind all the more devastating.

Frowning as she picked up her clear base coat and began applying it to her nails, Alexis searched for a word to adequately describe her brother's attitude now, and decided that devastated wasn't being too overly dramatic. David was _devastated._

And despite the fact that he was like, _the worst_, he was her big brother. Plus she got this kind of warm, glowy feeling in her stomach when she thought about how happy Patrick made him. She wanted to help him but she had no idea how. It felt weird and wrong, thinking about doing something to proactively help her brother. David was the one that always looked out for her. He didn't like being helped unless he asked for it, but sometimes David made stupid decisions and didn't always ask for things that were good for him. And then Alexis got that glowy feeling again and realized that maybe helping her brother didn't feel so weird and wrong after all. Maybe it actually felt kind of... right. Like something that people who were in families together were supposed to do. Because of love... and stuff.

Alexis thought about all the times David had dropped whatever he was doing to look after her. Despite the fact that she hadn't considered themselves particularly close, he had spared neither time nor expense to be there when she needed him, even if it meant travelling halfway around the world to some third-world embassy to barter for her freedom. He'd done it, every single time.

He'd let her cajole him into going to deliver some dog sweaters to Ted's office because Alexis couldn't bring herself to see him again after she had made her very one-sided declaration of love. So David had done it, and while he was there he'd had a very serious heart-to-heart with Ted which had inevitably led to where she was now - back together with her admittedly dorky vet that loved bad puns and ironed his polo shirts. And she'd never been happier.

To say she'd been surprised when Ted confessed the reason he'd decided to take another chance on her was because her brother, of all people, had been willing to be uncharacateristically heartfelt and candid would be a massive understatement. David didn't open up to anybody. Except occasionally with her, and that was usually only by accident; more often with Stevie, and most frequently, with Patrick.

_Patrick_, Alexis narrowed her eyes as she screwed the cap back onto her base coat, reaching for the pale peach colour she'd decided to go with for this afternoon.

Something must have happened between them today for David's whole attitude to have changed so drastically. She knew that moving in with a boyfriend was a first for him - he'd never even gotten close to this stage in a relationship before. She also knew that there were few people in the world capable of living full-time with her brother. She had mastered the art of our sheer necessity—putting up with his fussiness, his whining, his un-solicited opinions, and his need to have everything _just so _to keep his OCD and anxiety from spiraling out of control.

But when David had mentioned that he and Patrick were going to look at an apartment together, Alexis's heart had soared for him. Patrick was so _good_ for David. He was a steady and calming balm for David's flightier instincts and always seemed to find all of his ticks and quirks more endearing than annoying.

So why was David now here, probably caught in an axiety spiral in the shower instead of celebrating with his boyfriend? Alexis knew she wasn't going to get an answer from David—not tonight, anyway. So she decided she needed to take a page from her brother's book and have a little heart-to-heart with his boyfriend and maybe talk some sense into him.

Grabbing the keys to the car from where David had dropped them on the nightstand, Alexis snatched up her handbag. As she locked the motel room door behind her she sighed, glancing down at her half-finished and now completely smudged manicure. She'd pretty much have to start all over again later. But that was a sacrifice she was willing to make for her brother.

She got into the car and started the engine.

* * *

_Voicemail. Again_.

Patrick sighed and tucked his phone back into his pocket before scrubbing his hands anxiously over his face. He'd been trying to reach David for nearly half an hour and had already sent at least 10 texts and left 3 voicemails. He knew there was something wrong between them, and he had a pretty good idea that he was to blame for it, but David's habit of shutting down like this when things got difficult between them was really beginning to grate on his nerves.

He and Ray had begun to discuss the terms of the lease, and David had excused himself, saying that as his signature wasn't needed for any of the official documents, he was going to go. Patrick had tried to stop him, but before he'd even opened his mouth to speak David had slid on his sunglasses, turned on his heel and hurried from the room. Patrick heard his footsteps fading away down the stairs, his stomach twisting in uncomfortable knots as he half-listened to Ray discussing the building's pet policy, the damage deposit required, the utilities included in the lease and other details that Patrick really could not have cared less about at that particular moment in time.

He had just turned his attention back to re-adjusting the display of Body Milk when he heard a car door slam outside the store. They had closed the an hour early to go look at the apartment, but Patrick had left the door unlocked when he returned in case David showed up. His heart leapt into his throat when he heard the jingle of the front door chime and he looked up. His heart sank when he realized it wasn't David standing in the doorway, but a very put-out looking Alexis.

"Oh, hey Alexis," Patrick said, hoping to hide some of the disappointment from his voice. "Um, David's not here, so..."

"Yeah, I know," she said cooly, crossing her arms over her chest glaring pointedly at him.

"Um... okay," Patrick faltered, unaccustomed to Alexis's enmity being directed at him. It was usually David who got the brunt it. He shifted uncomfortably.

"You hurt him," she said flatly, pointing an accusing finger at Patrick. He felt his heart plummet into his feet and he closed his eyes, lowering his head and squeezing his eyes shut. "I don't know if you did it on purpose - I fucking hope not, Patrick. But you hurt him, and he's... ugh!"

Alexis's voice broke and she stomped her foot, lowering her face and pressing her fingers to the corners of her eyes.

"Shit," Patrick breathed, the knot of guilt tightening even more around his chest. "I thought... I mean, it was a misunderstanding, that's all, Alexis. I swear." He reached out to touch her arm but she swatted his hand away.

"Not to him, it wasn't," Alexis insisted.

Patrick's insides twisted painfully. "I misspoke this morning. And then when I realized, I-I was surprised... I didn't think he was ready o-or would want to..." He hung his head. "And then he seemed, well he seemed a little disappointed, but," Patrick shrugged his shoulders and looked imploringly at Alexis, "He said he was fine, and we'd talk about it, you know, in the future. And then he just... he just left."

Alexis rolled her eyes. "That's called a defence mechanism, Patrick," she sighed. "You tell him you want to live with him, then you tell him the apartment is just for you?" She widened her eyes and made a _duh_ face at him. "You think he's going to beg you to change your mind right then and there? With Ray probably sticking his nose into the whole thing? Don't be ridiculous."

"Fuck," Patrick groaned under his breath, running his fingers aggitatedly through his short hair. He put his hands on his hips and stared forelornly at Alexis. "So, what do I do?"

"You need to fix this."

"Yeah, but how?"

"_Ohmygodpatrick_!" Alexis let out in an exasperated squeal, her wrists bent and her hands flapping wildly in front of her in what Patrick always thought to himself as her T-Rex pose. "I can't fix everything for you! Ugh!"

"Okay, okay. I'll think of something. I promise," Patrick said, resignedly.

"You'd better," she said. "Because if he's not moving out, you cannot leave me stuck with him all moody and gross and pining for you," she grimaced. "That's just too... ew," she finished with a shudder.

Patrick nodded his head and Alexis's face finally began to relax into a small smile.

"You're good for him," she said simply. "And I think he's good for you too." She reached out and took his hand in hers, her eyes downcast. "Look, I know my brother is like, a lot of work, Patrick. Believe me, I know." She squeezed his hand gently and took a deep breath. "But I also know that he is the way he is because he has been made to feel like he's disposable so many, many times." She looked up at Patrick, her aqua eyes shining. "I know you love him like, a crazy amount. And I feel like you didn't hurt him on purpose today, which is why haven't just tied you up and thrown you into the trunk of the car."

Patrick was only half sure she was joking.

"He's so worth it, Patrick," she said, serious once more. "And he is like, crazy in love with you too."

"I know," he said softly, giving her fingers a squeeze before extracting his hand from her grip and rocking back on his heels, a bashful smile on his face. "I know he's worth it. I'll make things right with him. I promise."

A dazzling grin on her face, Alexis booped Patrick's nose with the tip of her index finger and gave him a double-eyed wink. "I'm going to go now, " she said, turning and grabbing one of her favourite lip balms from the display on the counter. "And I'm taking one of these. It's the least you and my brother can do for saving your relationship."

Patrick watch her flit out of the store, shaking his head and grinning back at her. She smiled innocently at him while smearing on a coat of lip balm before she got into the car and started the engine.

* * *

When David emerged from the bathroom he felt only mildly better. His muscles had relaxed some but his mind was still uncomfortably spinning. He continued to towel dry his hair as he crossed the room. Alexis had taken his advice and left, as evidence by the keys missing from the nightstand. He tossed the towel toward the laundry hamper - missing by a mile - and pulled his hoodie up over his damp hair before throwing himself down onto his bed. He closed his eyes and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. He could already feel one of his anxiety migraines beginning and he reached over to flick off the lamp on the nightstand.

It was still early and light still peeked around the edges of the curtains and through the inadequate blind on the door. But it was at least a little better. He huffed, rolling onto his side and bunching his pillow betwen his neck and his shoulder. He couldn't get comfortable. One of the side effects of his anxiety was restlessness and he knew that despite his plans to go to bed early, he would not be having a peaceful night's sleep. He punched his pillow and flopped around until he was on his other side, facing the nightstand.

In that moment, he felt very unwanted. Alexis wanted him gone so she could take over the room for her business. He couldn't live with Stevie because... well, that would be a nightmare. Yes, she was his best friend, but they were far too similar to live together without one of them resorting to homicide within a week. But Patrick... David sighed and scrunched up his face miserably. He'd never really given much thought to the idea of living with Patrick. He was happy with things the way they were. Could they do with a little more privacy and a little less of Ray's '_knock, knock_-ing'? Of course they could. But living together? He hadn't been aware that it was something that he'd wanted until it had been dangled so tantalizingly in front of him, before being snatched away.

Pulling his knees to his chest, David, buried his face into his pillow and let himself cry. He hated that he let himself get this way. He'd always felt like he had too many emotions for just one person. How did other people do it? How did they go through life just taking things in stride? Other people dealt with life's little disappointments without feeling like their world was crashing down around them, but he'd never been able to figure out how to do that. Everything always felt too big for him, and he worried that one day the weight of his feelings was going to crush him.

That was why he'd made the decision years ago to just not let himself have those feelings any more. If he never let anyone get close enough, they'd never be able to hurt him. He'd surrounded himself with people he didn't really like, people he knew were only there for the free booze and drugs and private jets. They were not good people. And they definitely were not nice people.

He let those people into his life because they didn't care about him and he didn't give a shit about them. When they left him it was no big deal because they hadn't meant anything to him. And it was so easy. The steady supply of mood altering pharmaceuticals at his disposal hadn't hurt. But it hadn't helped either in the long run. His therapist had told him many times - back when he could still afford a therapist - that he needed to develop healthier coping mechanisms. He couldn't just check out, delete all his contacts and start from scratch every time he felt like he was getting too close to someone.

David hiccuped as his tears began to slow and his chest began to burn with a sorrowful ache. Now he wished he'd paid attention to some of those other coping mechanisms. Because he really didn't want to delete the life he'd built here. It included his family, which was new. And frustrating. But also felt really good. It included Ted, who was a goofball but had a heart of gold and looked out for his sister, which David liked. And it included Stevie. He couldn't imagine his world without Stevie in it anymore. Even Ronnie and Twyla and Jocelyn and... David smirked into his pillow. He could probably stand to delete Roland from his contacts. But he and Jocelyn came as a pair and as much as he'd whined about how she'd manipulated him into throwing her baby sprinkle, he really did like her.

And then there was Patrick. The icy claws gripping his heart squeezed tighter and David moaned and clutched at his hoodie, pulling it tighter around him. He didn't think it would be possible to live without Patrick, now that he knew what it felt like to love and be loved by a really, really nice person. He was ruined now for anyone else, because no one else could ever love him the way Patrick did.

Opening his eyes, he could see now that his phone was blinking with unread messages and unanswered voicemails.

He'd turned his phone to silent when he'd left Patrick and Ray. He didn't want to talk to Patrick and hear him gently and reasonably explain again why he didn't want to live with him. Of course he didn't want to live with David. David was too much; too much drama, too many feelings. Just too much everything.

Relucantly he reached for his phone, sniffling and wiping his eyes as he did so.

10 Message Alerts

4 Misssed Calls

3 New Voicemail Messages

He clicked on the message alerts first.

**Patrick**: David? Where did you go?

**Patrick**: Your car is gone. Are you ok?

**Patrick**: Hello?

**Patrick**: Okay David, you're not at the store. You're not at the cafe. Where are you? Did you go back to the motel?

**Patrick**: David this isn't funny. Now you're not answering my calls either?

**Patrick**: David please... are you upset? Shit, I'm sorry.

**Patrick**: David please answer your phone.

**Patrick**: Please, babe?

**Patrick:** Okay, you obviously don't want to talk right now. I'll be at the store if you change your mind.

**Patrick**: I love you David.

The voicemails were along the same lines. David listened to each of them once before deleting them, hating the desperation that had begun creeping into Patrick's voice in the last message.

David, I'm really starting to get worried now. A-are you okay? Are **we **okay? I just *sigh* Please call me back, babe. I love you.

David placed his phone back on the nightstand and wrapped his arms around his shins, drawing his knees even tighter against his chest. He found it comforting, making himself as small as possible. As if the monster called panic wouldn't be able to find him if he could just make himself small enough.

A tentative rap at the door startled him. He thought about pulling his hood over his face and ignoring whoever it was. But then he thought it might be Stevie, and with Stevie usually came wine and maybe a joint. He reluctantly heaved himself out of bed and pulled open the door.

"Hey babe."

So, not Stevie.

"Hi," David said in as casual a voice as he could muster. "What are you... why are you here?" He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms protectively over his chest, his gaze focused on the toe of Patrick's very sensible brown shoes.

"I'm so sorry David," Patrick said. He scuffed the sole of his right shoe against the ground. "Are you... are you okay?"

"'S'fine," David mumbled, pressing his lips together in order to stop them from trembling.

"Hey," Patrick said, reaching out to slide a gentle finger under David's chin, urging him to meet his gaze. David cautiously looked at him through lowered lashes. "It's not okay that I hurt you today," he said. "I wasn't thinking and it was careless and stupid of me to be so... so casual about this." He tentatively stroked David's cheek. "Just having a place where we can have some privacy is a big deal, " he continued. "I was so excited about the idea of getting you alone - properly alone - that I didn't think about the words I was using and what they might mean to you."

David swallowed hard. "Um... can we maybe not do this out here," he gestured to the parking lot and the street beyond. He took a step back and held the door open for Patrick to enter.

Patrick's lips turned upward in a tentative smile. He paused beside David, leaning in to peck him lightly on his cheek before moving into the room and taking a seat on David's bed. David closed the door and stood leaning back against it, his arms once again crossed protectively over his chest.

"So, um, y-you signed everything?" he asked. Patrick nodded.

"I did," he replied. "I pick up my keys tomorrow and I'll be moving in this weekend. The place is empty and the landlord is anxious to have it rented, so he's letting me move in mid-month instead of having to wait for the first."

"Okay," David said. He sighed and ran his fingers through his unruly and still-damp hair. "Um, so, we should... we should talk about today?" He didn't want to talk about today anymore. He felt like he'd already said too much, leaving him exposed and raw. But this is what people did, right? When they loved each other? They talked about things that weren't working and tried to fix them. And he wanted to fix whatever had happened between himself and Patrick.

Patrick smiled, relief evident on his face. He inched over and patted the space on the bed next to him. "Come here, babe," he said soothingly. "Come here and we can talk."

David let out a deep sigh and sat down carefully beside Patrick, his eyes focused on the floor between his bed and Alexis's.

"David, I love you so much, you know that right?" Patrick began, and David nodded his head. "And you know that I want to be with you, right?" David nodded again. "Honey, can you please look at me?"

David shifted, turning his body slightly toward Patrick. He kept his gaze lowered on his hands clasped in his lap a moment longer before raising face to look directly into Patrick's whiskey brown eyes.

"Hey gorgeous," Patrick said, his eyes crinkled in a smile. He reached out and gently drew his finger along David's jaw. Without thinking, David leaned into his touch and closed his eyes.

"Patrick, I..." he began before a lump began to form in his throat. He coughed and tried again. "I love you too. And I-I'm sorry I ran away today." He heard Patrick inhale, as if he were going to speak and David flapped his hands at Patrick to silence him and rushed on before he lost his nerve. "I know you didn't mean... it's just... I..." he scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to find the words. "We've never talked about us... about changing our living situations, and I... I was so shocked that you would even consider living with me, because I know I'm like a lot to handle, and then when you said you didn't want to live with me, it just... I-I just..." he trailed off, his voice shaking with the effort of getting the words out. He fluttered his hands in front of his face, trying to fan away the tears he could feel stinging behind his eyes.

"David, I never said I didn't want to live with you," Patrick said, reaching out and taking David's hand in his. He calmly stroked his thumb across David's palm. "But I would never, ever presume to decide for both of us that we should move in together. That's a decision that we both have to agree on when the time is right." He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the back of David's hand and David felt the cold vice in his chest loosen just a little. "I thought that if I get a place on my own, then we can move forward in baby steps, you know?"

"Baby steps?" David parrotted, sniffling.

Patrick grinned. "Yeah. Baby steps." He scootched closer to David and placed a hand on his thigh. "Like, I get a place that lets us have some real privacy for the first time in our relationship," he said, his thumb tracing circles on David's leg. It was very soothing. "And you can come over anytime you want," he continued, "And you can take time away from me anytime you want, too," he added, giving David's leg a gentle squeeze.

"What about if you want time away from me?" David asked quietly, shifting a little closer to Patrick.

"if that ever happens, I'll let you know," Patrick replied with a wink. He shifted his hand slightly higher on David's thigh. "But it hasn't happened yet."

David pursed his lips in his trademark crooked grin. "Very funny."

Patrick shook his head, his smile widening. "Don't you get it, David?" he asked and David raised an eyebrow in question. "You are my very favourite person," Patrick said so sincerly that it made David's heart hurt. In his entire life he had never been anyone's favourite person.

"Oh. Um... well," he said, his lips tugging upward in a shy smile, "You're my favourite person too."

"I am kind of awesome," Patrick agreed with a cheeky wink causing David to let out an indelicate snort of laughter. "But seriously, David," Patrick continued, "I do want to live with you... one day. I just think that we should work up to it and make that decision when the time is right for both of us, not just because Ray has no boundaries and you share a room with your sister."

"And an adjoining door with my parents that doesn't always reliably lock," David pointed out.

"There's that too," Patrick agreed. His glance flicked hesitantly down to David's mouth before he leaned in and kissed David so very tenderly. Pulling back, he pressed his forhead against David's and playfully rubbed their noses together. "I love you David," he whispered.

"I love you too, Patrick," David replied.

"Are we okay?"

"Mmm hmmm," David sighed contentedly and squeezed his eyes shut, savouring the moment. He felt Patrick shifting on the bed and opened his eyes to see him reaching into his pocket.

"I have something for you," Patrick said, leaning over to turn on the bedside lamp before producing a folded slip of paper from his pocket.

David eyed it. It looked like a torn off piece of receipt paper from the store. Patrick handed it to him with a grin. "Open it," he urged, biting his lip.

"What is it?" David asked, taking the paper.

"Consider it my olive branch," Patrick said nervously.

Unfolding it, David smiled, reading the words scrawled in Patrick's cramped, messy printing.

I.O.U.  
ONE KEY

"W-what... what does this mean?" David asked, not wanting to assume, but daring to hope.

"It means," Patrick said, leaning in to press his lips to David's temple and nuzzling his nose gently into his hair, "That when I get my keys tomorrow, one of them is for you. I said you can come over anytime you want and I meant it. It may be my name on the lease, but I do want you to feel like it is a safe space for you whenever you need it."

David's eyes welled up and Patrick raised his hand, skimming his thumb lightly across his cheekbone and wiping away the tears that had fallen. He wrapped David in his comforting embrace, and leaned back on the bed, pulling David down with him, his hand rubbing soothing circles up and down David's back and gently ruffling his hair.

"We might not be living together yet," Patrick whispered in David's ear, "But wherever you are feels like home to me David."

"Oh my god, that is so corny," David chuckled, although his insides fluttered in delight at Patrick's decidedly rom-com line.

"You love it," Patrick smiled and kissed the tip of David's nose.

"I really do," David sighed contentedly, laying his head back down on Patrick's chest and letting himself relax against his boyfriend's strong, solid, body as he drifted off to sleep.

***

Alexis had spent the afternoon and evening with Ted and figured that having killed a few hours it would be safe to return to the motel. Either David would be asleep or he and Patrick would have made up and they were off somewhere doing things that people who were disgustingly in love did together.

Pulling into the parking lot, she rolled her eyes when she saw Patrick's car parked in front of their room. "Ugh, gross," she muttered under her breath. "They're either still fighting or they're making up." She scrunched up her nose, hoping that they were still fighing, because she did not want to walk in on them making up.

She put her key in the door and paused with her hand on the dooknob, listening. She didn't hear any raised voices, so they weren't fighting. She didn't hear any other sounds she didn't want to hear either. She turned the handle and slowly pushed open the door. The room was bathed in the soft light from the lamp on the nightstand. Two figures were cuddled up on top of David's narrow bed. Patrick lay on his back with his head propped up against David's pillows and his hand tangled loosely in David's hair, while David's head lay on Patrick's chest, one arm flung possessively across his middle. David's feet were dangling almost comically off the end of the bed that was ridiculously small to be comfortable for two grown men to sleep in. They were both snoring softly and Alexis couldn't help but do a little happy dance for her brother.

She closed the door soundlessly behind her, sliding her feet from her shoes and tiptoing across the room to gather her pyjamas and toiletries in preparation for her shower. She dropped a shoe and it clattered noisily on the floor. David snorted and smacked his lips together dryly before peering owlishly over at her. He looked happy. Disshevelled and rumpled and happy.

She pointed at him and shook her head, scrunching up her face. "Ew, David," she whispered.

"Shut up," he muttered, shooting her a smile that made her heart melt for him before he closed his eyes and snuggled back down on Patrick's chest.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated. Please remember that I am a fragile being who hasn't written in nearly a decade so go easy on poor little me :)
> 
> Until next time  
D McM


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